Lading strap anchor supports for refrigerator cars



Nov. 10, 1959 E. vQHoPKlNs ETAL 2,911,924

LADING STRAP ANCHoR SUPPORTS FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Nov. 9, 1956 FIG. 7L n FI@ 5 3942;@ Me/wif W95 United States Patent LADING STRAP ANCHOR SUPPORTS FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Earl V. Hopkins, San Carlos, Calif., and Gilbert F. Oakley, Chicago, lll.; Gilbert F. Oakley assignor to Mac- Lean-Fogg Dock Nut Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 9, 1956, Serial No. 621,478

3 Claims. (Cl. 10S- 369) This invention relates to supports for lading strap anchors, and more particularly to such supports which are adapted to use in the wall structures of railway refrigerator cars, refrigerated trucks, ships or other freight vehicles.

As generally constructed, the side walls of refrigerator cars are quite different from those of ordinary house cars in order to have the desired heat insulating qualities. Because of the differences of structure between the walls of the two types of cars, refrigerator cars do not lend themselves normally to the mounting of lading strap anchors of the types commonly used in freight cars for the securement of carried loads against longitudinal shifting in the cars.

Refrigerator cars and house cars with flue type lining have thick walls with flue spaces therein, and are constructed so as to avoid continuous or connected metal parts which extend through the walls. Also, galvanized metal parts which are used in the walls of refrigerator cars to avoid rust problems offer other problems in respect to the securement of lading strap anchors by welding.

In view of the foregoing and other considerations, it is a general object of our invention to provide a lading strap anchor support that can be economically built into refrigerator car walls of customary construction without radical or detrimental changes in the wall structure and which affords to refrigerator cars the ease and economy of mounting lading strap ancho-rs which has been known in box car use.

Another object of this invention is to provide lading strap anchor supports for refrigerator cars which utilize 'the ultimate strength of the car wall structure without restricting air circulation through the flue space or reducing the wall insulation. v a

Our invention further has within its purview the provision of lading strap anchor supports for refrigerator cars which are not restricted to positions aligned with the structural side posts of the car wall.

As another object, our invention comprehends the provision of lading strap anchor supports for refrigerator cars and from which the anchors are easily demountable to facilitate car maintenance.

This invention also provides lading strap anchor supports upon which anchors of rectangular or circular contour can be readily mounted in alignment with lining of the car wall.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevational view, with parts broken away, which illustrates the adaption of a preferred embodiment of our lading strap anchor supports to the wall of a refrigerator car;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top sectional View of the refrigerator wall structure shown in Fig. l, and includes our lading strap anchor support;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end sectional view of the rerice Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portionl of a preferred type of lading strap anchor support adapted to use as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. i

Having reference to the structure shown in the acco panying drawings for illustrative purposes, a refrigerator car of the usual type includes a heat insulated oor 10 and a heat insulated side wall 12. In the structure depicted herein, the floor 10 includes wood flooring 13 secured to wood supports 14 and other floor framing members (not shown), and having the surface thereof on the interior of the car covered by a false oor 15 which, in the present instance, is plywood. Heat insulating material 16 lls the space below the main course ooring 13 and between that flooring and a sub-floor, not shown. At the interior of the juncture of the side wall 12 with the floor 10, a belt rail 17 is secured to the steel superstructure of the car and extends longitudinally of the car. From this belt rail 17, hinges 18 carrying oor racks 19 which, in the present instance, includes framing members, such as 20 and spaced lloor slats 22. With this structure, `the hinged oor rack of the car may be lifted against the side wall for cleaning purposes.

Each side wall of the car includes side posts 23 which, in the present instance, are of the anged channeled type, although in some instances other sectional shapes are utilized. The side posts 23 are in spaced relationship longitudinally of the car and extend vertically, with their lower ends anchored to the car frame structure and their upper ends connected to the car side plates. The outer surfaces of the side posts are covered by sheathing 24. In this instance, the channels of the side posts open outwardly and the sheathing is secured, as by welding or riveting, to the surfaces of the flanges 25 on the flanged channel posts.

Web portions 26 of the posts 23 face inwardly of the car side wall and, in the disclosed structure, have channeltype support members 21, 27 and 28 secured thereto in spaced relationship vertically of the car side wall and in aligned rows longitudinally of the car. The channels of the channel-type support members 21, 27 and 28 are disposed laterally of the channels of the side posts 23, and each row of such channel-type support members supports a belt rail; the channel members, such as 27, having a belt rail 29 secured between projecting side portions 32 and 33 thereof7 and the support members 28V having a belt rail 34 secured between projecting side portions 35 and 36 thereof. In the disclosed structure, the belt rails are secured in place relative to the support members by fastening means, such as bolts 31, 37 and 38. With the horizont-al disposition of the channel-type support members, as shown in Fig. 3, the belt rails 17, 29 and 34 extend longitudinally of the car and the bolts 31', 37 and 38 extend through those channels and belt rails in a vertical direction. It may be understood that while the horizontal disposition of the belt rails is disclosed herein, some car structures have the belt rails vertically disposed. The parts and features of the disclosed structure are. adaptable to either disposition of the belt rails.

Sub-lining 39 which, in the present instance, is made of plywood, is secured to the inner surfaces of the belt rails 17, 29 and 34. Heat insulating material 40 fills the space between the sublining and the outer sheathing. As depicted in Fig. 2, nailing strips 42 extend vertically and are secured to the belt rails and sub-lining on the side of the sub-lining opposite the belt rails. Such nailing strips are spaced apart longitudinally of the car wall and provide means for the securement of an inner lining 43 in spaced relationship to the sub-lining 39, thereby providing flue space for the flow of air between the sub-lining and the lining and between the nailing strips; it being noted that the lining 43 does not extend to the false lloor 15, and that there is space for the movement of air from the interior of the car into the flue spaces. The inner lining herein illustrated is composed of tongue and groove boards, although plywood is often used for such lining. In order to provide supports' for lading strap anchors at various heights and at spaced positions longitudinally of the car wall, we have provided anchor support posts 44 which are secured to the belt rails 17, 29 and 34 by bolts 47, 45 and 46 which extend through the belt rails and sub-lining in horizontal directions and in spaced relationship Vto the vertically disposed bolts 31, 37 and 38 which secure the belt rails in place. The anchor supporting posts need not necessarily be aligned with the side posts 23 of the car wall structure, although such alignment does add to the strength of the composite structure and the anchor supports. As may be observed, particularly from Figs. 2 and 3, the anchor supporting posts 44 extend vertically through the flue space and do not interfere materially with the flow of air through that space.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, our anchor supporting posts, in the disclosed structure are substantially U-shaped in section with substantially parallel side portions 4S and 49 connected through a web 50 and are mounted with the side portions 43 flat against the sub-lining 39 and with the web 50 extending outwardly from the belt rails and sublining. With this structure, the anchor supporting posts present the side portion 49 in spaced relationship to the side portion 48 and with an exposed edge, which outer side portion 49 serves as a mounting for hook-type lading strap anchors 52 having front strap anchoring portions 53 and rear hook portions 54 with a slot 55 therebetween in which the outer side portion 49 of the anchor supporting post is received.

Such lading strap anchors usually have a height which is comparable to that of the boards which constitute the inner lining 43, and are each mounted in alignment with a board, so that the board need merely to be cut to provide a space for the anchor. The anchors are prevented from becoming dislodged from their mounted positions on the outer side portion of the supporting post by engagement with the inner lining. With such mounting of the anchors, they may be readily aligned with the boards of the inner lining, and the anchors are readily removable and replaceable in the event of maintenance work on the car, such as the renewal of inner lining boards. substantially tlush with the inner surfaces of the lining boards. lt may be understood that tongues, such as 57, on the anchors provide connections for the anchoring of looped lading straps. 1n the structure herein disclosed, the channel-type support members 27 and 28 have angularly off-set portions S and 59 in the side portions thereof, which angularly ofi-set portions extend along the surfaces of the belt rails remote from the sub-lining to prevent the bolts 45 and 46 from becoming dislodged from their positions in the belt rails. Also, in order to provide access for tightening and removing nuts, such as 60 and 62 on the respective bolts 4S and 46, wrench openings 63 are provided in the outer side portions 49 of the anchor supporting posts.

The anchor supporting posts 44 of the disclosed structure are fabricated from angle sections; the side portion 48 comprising one ilange of the angle and the web 50 and side portion 49 constituting the other ange ofthe angle, the latter flange being longitudinally bent between the web portion 50 and the side portion 49 to afford the anchort support. This structure affords a relatively large bearing surface on the anchor supporting post for engage- The inner surfaces of the anchors are 4 l ment with the sub-lining 39 and gives the added support of a square corner along the anchor supporting post adjacent the web 50.

From the foregoing description and reference to the drawings, it may be readily understood that with this disclosed structure, we have provided lading strap anchor supports for mounting in the flue space of refrigerator cars and the like without interfering with the air flow through that flue space and which permit secure anchorage of lading strap anchors at selected positions longitudinally and vertically of the car wall structure. Such lading strap anchor supports have been provided without impairing the strength or affecting the heat insulating properties of the wall, and afford ease of mounting and placement of the lading strap anchors, as well as providing for 'ready removal and replacement of the anchors for maintenance operations.

It is understood that the foregoing description is merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of the invention' and that the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereto, but is to be determined by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. Ina refrigerator vehicle having heat insulated walls including side posts, belt rails of relatively non-heatconductive material supported from the side posts, sublining secured to the belt rails, and inner lining spaced from the sub-lining to define flue space for the vertical circulation of air; the improvement comprising supporting posts extending vertically through the flue space in spaced relationship to one another longitudinally of the vehicle, first metallic means comprising fastening elements extending through the belt rails in a direction lateral to the walls and securing said supporting posts to the belt rails, and second metallic means comprising channel members having web portions secured to the side posts and flange portions extending away from the side posts and embracing opposite sides of the belt rails, said channel members being secured to the belt rails by fastening elements extending through the flange portions and belt rails in directions transverse to the first mentioned fastening elements, and said first metallic means and said second metallic means being separated at the belt rails in order to avoid continuity of heatconductive material extending through the heat-insulated walls.

2. In a refrigerator vehicle as defined in claim 1, said side posts and said first and second metallic means having a common central plane extending laterally of the walls.

3. In a refrigerator vehicle as defined in claim 1, the channel members of said second metallic means having portions offset from one another in each flange portion thereof and defining shoulders for locating the belt rails laterally of the walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,085,923 Murphy July 6, 1937 2,174,988 Lundvall Oct. 3, 1939 2,214,545 Winship Sept. lO, 1940 2,256,182 Winship Sept. 16, 1941 2,256,377 Bonsall Sept, 16, 1941 2,256,961 Pearson et al Sept. 23, 1941 2,326,717 Zeidler Aug. l0, 1943 2,716,382 Johnson Aug. 30, 1955 2,716,383 Johnson Aug. 30, 1955 2,716,384 Johnson Aug. 30, 1955 2,753,816 Oakley July 10, 1956 

